Surgical devices and methods

Abstract

Surgical devices having a plurality of outwardly-biased flexible fins capable of inward movement such that the fins converge to provide both a passageway for surgical instruments to traverse towards a surgical site, and provide a substantially impermeable seal, thus providing for fluid retention during the surgical procedure. The outwardly-biased flexible fins provide for soft tissue compression, decreasing the length of the lumen or passageway through which instruments pass, allowing for a wider range of movement of instruments and better access to the surgical site, especially in patients with greater amounts of fat tissue that would otherwise require longer lumen lengths in prior art endoscopic cannulas.

I claim: 
     
       1. A cannula for surgical procedures, the cannula comprising:
 a body member having an inner wall forming a lumen along at least a proximal portion of a length of said body member to form a port for a surgical tool, said inner wall and an outer wall of said body member being split to form branches at a distal end of said lumen so as to form a plurality of flexible fins, 
 wherein a cavity is disposed within each of said plurality of flexible fins, 
 wherein an elongate shaft is embedded within each of said cavities. 
 
     
     
       2. The cannula of  claim 1 , wherein each elongate shaft is naturally biased in an outward direction. 
     
     
       3. The cannula of  claim 1 , wherein a distal tip of each elongate shaft protrudes from a distal end of each of the respective cavities in which said elongate shaft is embedded within. 
     
     
       4. The cannula of  claim 1 , wherein each elongate shaft is insertable into the respective cavity in which said elongate shaft is embedded within. 
     
     
       5. The cannula of  claim 4 , wherein each elongate shaft comprises a proximal head for controlling depth of insertion of each at least one the respective elongate shaft. 
     
     
       6. The cannula of  claim 4 , wherein each elongate shaft is also reusable. 
     
     
       7. The cannula of  claim 4 , wherein each elongate shaft comprises a textured feature on at least a portion of a surface of the elongate shaft. 
     
     
       8. The cannula of  claim 1 , wherein each at least one elongate shaft comprises a polymer. 
     
     
       9. The cannula of  claim 1 , wherein each elongate shaft comprises a shape memory alloy. 
     
     
       10. The cannula of  claim 1 , wherein a proximal end of each elongate shaft is secured to a proximal end of said body member. 
     
     
       11. A cannula for surgical procedures, the cannula comprising:
 a body member having an inner wall forming a lumen along at least a proximal portion of a length of said body member to form a port for a surgical tool, said inner wall and an outer wall of said body member being split to form branches at a distal end of said lumen so as to form a plurality of flexible fins, 
 wherein a cavity is disposed within each of said plurality of flexible fins, 
 wherein an elongate shaft is embedded within each of said cavities, 
 wherein said inner wall is compressible to form a flexible opening in said lumen. 
 
     
     
       12. The cannula of  claim 11 , wherein each elongate shaft is naturally biased in an outward direction. 
     
     
       13. The new cannula of  claim 11 , wherein a substantially fluid seal is formed when said inner wall at said flexible opening is compressed to a closed position. 
     
     
       14. The cannula of  claim 11 , wherein a distal tip of each elongate shaft protrudes from a distal end of each of the respective cavities in which said at least one elongate shaft is embedded within. 
     
     
       15. The cannula of  claim 14 , wherein each elongate shaft comprises a proximal head for controlling depth of insertion of each the respective elongate shaft. 
     
     
       16. The cannula of  claim 14 , wherein each elongate shaft is also reusable. 
     
     
       17. The cannula of  claim 14 , wherein each elongate shaft comprises a textured feature on at least a portion of a surface of the elongate shaft. 
     
     
       18. The cannula of  claim 11 , wherein each elongate shaft comprises a polymer. 
     
     
       19. The cannula of  claim 11 , wherein each elongate shaft comprises a shape memory alloy. 
     
     
       20. The cannula of  claim 11 , wherein a proximal end of each elongate shaft is secured to a proximal end of said body member.